Monday, November 7, 2011

The N.C. High School Athletic Association enjoys success hosting its state title games at neutral sites on a Saturday.

I think the state's private schools should figure a way to at least play Saturday finals, too, provided they're all on the same day.

This Friday, Charlotte Country Day plays at Providence Day in the Division I final. The Division II semifinals are Friday and the Division III finals are also Friday.

The first step is to get everyone on the same week so everybody's finals are at the same time. That's easy enough. But the second step is to get all the finals on the third Saturday in November at a neutral site, like, say, Ardrey Kell High School.

I know that's a public school site, but it's a big field with artificial turf and has easy access and parking.

The private schools could announce their all-state teams and have the kids wearing their jerseys come to midfield to be honored. Parents and fans could see the top teams in all three classifications.

As it is, Friday's private school playoff games are going to be overshadowed by the public school games in terms of media coverage -- like almost every year -- and that's probably about right, given that the public schools touch so many more people and have so many more alumni.

A simple switch would really make the private school games feel special, like the public school championships do now. I know that one of the best events I go to every year is the private school state basketball championships. They're held over one weekend in one city, with the finals all being held in one gym.

Good suggestion. If the private schools want credibility from anyone other than the entitled they'd go to just one classification for their playoffs. It's easier to win a state title in private schools than a conference title in the public schools.

Oh, please. Credibility? It has been discussed countless times that Country Day and Latin are among the top teams in Charlotte every year, and would be competitive with every public school with the exception of Mallard Creek and Butler, but even those games wouldn't be blowouts. Providence Day is in that same conversation this year as Christian has been in the past. It's not those schools faults that there are no other competitive private school teams in the state. Langston finds a new small school to champion every year, be it Victory Christian, First Assembly or Davidson Day, and whenever they play a Country Day or a Latin, they inevitably end up down 42-0 at half time. If you want to talk about credibility, why don't you ask Catholic, or Crest, or Northwestern, or Porter Ridge how credible those teams are.